Microsoft's most recent security update for Windows 10 and Windows 11 may cause VPNs to fail to connect, Microsoft warns. There is no fix.
  • mindlight@lemm.eeEnglish
    1595·
    7 months ago

    PCWorld:

    Microsoft’s latest Windows update breaks VPNs, and there’s no fix

    What Microsoft actually said:

    Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update, or KB5036893. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release

    I’m so fed up with everyone trying to make a quick buck on our constant struggle to stay safe.

    • w2tpmf@lemmy.worldEnglish
      361·
      7 months ago

      The reality is that it broke "something* in certain lpt2/ipsec connections using certain authentication protocols, although they haven’t yet specified which particular connection technologies are affected.

      However this does not mean that a blanket affect of ALL VPN connection not working is an issue.

      So far we are unaffected on clients using ipsec and PAP protocol authentication, nor connections using Anyconnect (aka Cisco Secure Connect).

      I have also not seen any affect on private VPN clients such as PIA or Nord on machines that have this update.

      I suspect what broke was clients using MSChap, Microsoft’s own protocol for authentication for VPN clients.

      Source: an admin with 200+ client machines with VPN connections that are not impacted after installing this update.

  • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    755·
    7 months ago

    I dunno man. I’m convinced that pretty much any mention of VPN these days is just an ad for vpns. That’s with this article looks like.

    • Zaemz@lemmy.worldEnglish
      431·
      7 months ago

      Yeah, you’re not wrong that the article kinda sets itself up for the “lookit our recommended VPNs” pitch.

      There’s no way Microsoft would purposefully disable VPNs from working. I can guarantee that they require VPNs for thousands of roles in the company, let alone breaking it for government agencies that require VPNs, etc.

      It is good to know that a specific update can break something ahead of time, though. Then at least you can avoid it.

      • Kiernian@lemmy.worldEnglish
        16·
        7 months ago

        There’s no way Microsoft would purposefully disable VPNs from working

        No, but they’ve done it accidentally before.

        One time a few years ago it broke all LT2P VPN’s unless you removed a specific KB########.

        IIRC, six months later there was still no fix.

        I think it’s been fixed now, though.

    • Kethal@lemmy.worldEnglish
      619·
      7 months ago

      My workplace requires VPN for Web sites that are authenticated, require 2FA and are encrypted. It’s infuriatingly stupid. I feel like someone higher up got sold a useless contract by a good VPN salesperson.

      • RubberDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
        40·
        7 months ago

        Most likely all connections are run through the gateway of the company allowing them to apply security to all web traffic on their clients.

        It might hinder you but there is plenty of method to this madness.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
        152·
        7 months ago

        I applaud your IT leadership/CIO for being willing to do this.

        Most companies are far too passive and think “aIt won’t happen to us”.

        I’ve seen companies scammed of $1mil in a single transaction because they sent credentials in email, to a scammer.

        Had they used a credential management system this wouldn’t have happened.

        Every layer of security helps.

  • cy_narrator@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    271·
    7 months ago

    It may be unintentional bug. People in the enterprise world need VPN for corporate purposes, they will fix it dont worry

      • sgibson5150@slrpnk.netEnglish
        21·
        7 months ago

        Mmm what?

        WireGuard® is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec, while avoiding the massive headache. It intends…

        • Dran@lemmy.worldEnglish
          7·
          7 months ago

          Yeah I’m really curious what his take is going to be on this one lol. Technically it doesn’t have a layer-2 capable bridge mode like other VPN solutions like openvpn, but that’s about all I can think of. It’s still objectively a virtual network, made private by a keypair exchange.

          Probably just blindly paroting something someone told him. Awkward way to learn that one lmao.

  • BaroqueInMind@kbin.run
    135·
    7 months ago

    Looks like their policy to prefer cheap labor they hire from Asia rather than paying local U.S. developers a living wage is starting to bite them in the ass.

  • Holzkohlen@feddit.deEnglish
    5·
    7 months ago

    You are gonna test the software for a multi-billion dollar cooperation and you are gonna like it!

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
      32·
      7 months ago

      And this is exactly why I don’t do auto updates (and people around here berate me for it, saying my systems are unsafe).

      Hell, Windows LTSC only gets updates twice a year (which is what I run).

    • Coreidan@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      7 months ago

      Why? The entire business world uses and needs VPNs. This accomplishes nothing for MS. There will be a PR shit storm in MS from every direction if they don’t fix it.

      I’d agree if this only affected normal people but it also affects every corporation that does business with MS.

    • pycorax@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      7 months ago

      Games. I have a Steam Deck so yea I get that Proton works really well now but it’s still not perfect. And also I write software for customers that use Windows so ¯\(ツ)/¯

      • just_another_person@lemmy.worldEnglish
        17·
        7 months ago

        Games aren’t an issue. If you are still in a world where your local machine is a dev environment, that’s a different story. Sorry.

        • Coreidan@lemmy.worldEnglish
          52·
          7 months ago

          Yes games very much are an issue. You are naive and ignorant if you think Linux can play every single game without hang ups.

          For example if you play iRacing you don’t have much of a choice but to be on windows.

          You people telling others to get on Linux are tone deaf as fuck.

          • asudox@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            7 months ago

            I agree. While I still think Linux is superior overall, software compatibility is mostly about the market share, so Windows is the best for gamers.